Movie Cosmos - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Description:

Dr. Henry Jekyll believes that there are two distinct sides to men - a good and an evil side. He believes that by separating the two, man can become liberated. He succeeds in his experiments with chemicals to accomplish this and transforms into Hyde to commit horrendous crimes. When he discontinues use of the drug, it is already too late.

Top Cast >

Fredric March

As Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde

Miriam Hopkins

As Ivy Pearson

Rose Hobart

As Muriel Carew

Holmes Herbert

As Dr. John Lanyon

Halliwell Hobbes

As Brig. Gen. Sir Danvers Carew

Edgar Norton

As Poole

Tempe Pigott

As Mrs. Hawkins

Leonard Carey

As Briggs, Lanyon's Butler (uncredited)

Sam Harris

As Party Guest (uncredited)

Boyd Irwin

As Police Inspector (uncredited)

Arnold Lucy

As Utterson (uncredited)

Murdock MacQuarrie

As Dissenting Doctor at Lecture (uncredited)

Eric Mayne

As Lanyon's Associate at Lecture (uncredited)

Robert Adair

As Ivy's Admirer at Music Hall (uncredited)

Pat Harmon

As Music Hall Customer (uncredited)

John Rogers

As Music Hall Waiter (uncredited)

G.L. McDonnell

As Hobson, Carew's Butler (uncredited)

Douglas Walton

As Blonde Student (uncredited)

Harry Adams

William Begg

Rita Carlyle

Frank Goddard

Bobby Hale

As Pub Patron (uncredited)

Tom London

As Undetermined Role (uncredited)

William Marion

Eric Wilton

Top Crew >

Rouben Mamoulian

Director, Producer

William Shea

Editor

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

Adolph Zukor

Executive Producer

Percy Heath

Screenplay

Samuel Hoffenstein

Screenplay

Karl Struss

Director of Photography

Travis Banton

Costume Design

Robert Louis Stevenson

Novel

M.M. Paggi

Sound

Harry Hallenberger

Additional Camera

Wally Westmore

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Fleet Southcott

Assistant Camera

Herman Hand

Music

Charles Leahy

Assistant Camera

John Leipold

Music

George T. Clemens

Additional Camera

Robert Lee

Assistant Director

Chick Collins

Stunts

Gordon Head

Still Photographer

Cliff Shirpser

Assistant Camera

Ralph Rainger

Music

Rudolph G. Kopp

Music

Norbert A. Myles

Makeup Artist

Reviews:

John Chard (8/10)

I have no soul. I'm beyond the pale. I'm one of the living dead!

It's one of the most famous pieces of literature ever written, a genius piece of story telling from the trippy mind of Robert Louis Stevenson. That it has consistently been ripe for film and stage adaptations, and continues to be so since it first surfaced in written form in 1866, is testament to what a devilishly intelligent piece of work it is.

This 1931 version, directed by Rouben Mamoulian and staring Fredric March, may not be 100% faithful to the source, but it's arguably the finest adaptation to screen, led by a superb performance from March and featuring technical guile by Mamoulian and his team. It's wonderfully stylish, and coming as it did before the Hayes Code, it's sexy and dangerous, awash with terrifying cruelty, with the subversive and Freudian psychological beats making for a Gothic horror classic.

Split personality a go go, inhibitions cast asunder, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is priceless. 8/10

2015-10-15